RALEIGH — A middle school teacher and AVID coordinator from Pitt County Schools was named the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year at a luncheon at the Umstead Hotel in Cary on April 11.
Rachel Candaso will take over for Heather Smith, a math teacher from Haywood County Schools, who was last year’s top teacher.
State Superintendent Mo Green praised Candaso for setting a standard of academic excellence in North Carolina public schools, noting her commitment to comprehensive student preparation and community empowerment…